The Miami Dolphins are keeping their poker face on for this draft.

All anyone can do is speculate. That’s usually what we all do at this point in the offseason anyway.

All the outsiders know the Dolphins need a QB for the future, and they are in a good position to take one. The Dolphins know this as well.

But the Dolphins will also tell you that QB isn’t a priority. It’s a position of need to them—just like so many other positions on the roster—but it’s not a priority.

That’s what they say, anyway. Who knows what they believe?

And that’s why when it comes to quarterback draft-talk, the Dolphins have thrown out multiple names. They still mention those names as a group, they never narrow it down to give us a clue.

Those names include Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, and Jordan Love.

And the Dolphins like aspects of all 4.

Lately, it’s been Herbert stealing all the love.

Sure, there are many smokescreens leading up to the draft. Nobody wants to show their hand, because opposing teams may hold another team’s player of interest for ransom.

But the Dolphins are acting so nonchalant about who their primary interest is at quarterback. They are also acting as if the QB position is as equal to any other position on their roster, and don’t think of it as anything more or less.

I understand this as well, but I’m not buying into any legitimacy head coach Brian Flores or general manager Chris Grier’s words may have regarding this subject.

Despite all the quarterback speculation, a good portion of fans still favor building a team first over selecting a quarterback.

To them, I slowly close my eyes, and shake my head.

With so many holes to solidify on the roster, would it make sense to use your draft picks on positions outside of quarterback in order to check them off your list? Yes.

With 5 picks in the first 2 rounds, can the Dolphins ignore QB and go 5 for 5 drafting? It’s possible.

Positions other than QB seem easier to evaluate and figure out in the NFL. Putting QB on hold could help you build a roster quicker, and perhaps the Dolphins can put off selecting a risky quarterback in this draft in order to go after next year’s Trevor Lawrence— a quarterback who many agree is the next big can’t-miss thing. The Dolphins have ammunition in the 2021 draft as well.

But if Dolphins go this route, there’s no guarantee they will end up in a similar draft spot next year with an improved roster and a veteran Fitzpatrick leading the way.

And if fans eyes can zoom away from honing in on Miami’s 2020 No. 5 pick, they may understand the quantity of ammunition the Dolphins have in this draft, and using their first pick to throw a dart at the QB position wouldn’t be such a bad gamble. After all, if Dolphins draft well, if they miss on a quarterback while hitting on 4 out of 5 wouldn’t be so bad. Hitting on 5 out of 5 and ending up with the franchise’s next long-term QB will be even better.

Either way (ignoring QB in this draft or not), this 2020 Dolphins team will not be ready to realistically compete this upcoming season. So why not just take a chance on the hardest position in the NFL to solve?

Too many fans are focusing on the No. 5 selection rather than the big picture of it all, and the collection of quality players the Dolphins can acquire in this draft. Gambling on a quarterback at No. 5 doesn’t ruin Miami’s draft this year. In other years and for other teams who don’t have the abundance of picks the Dolphins have, blowing a high pick on a QB-bust would usually get a regime fired. But not for the Dolphins. Not this year.

Part of the reason for my view is the way Grier and Flores have built this team. One of their first moves during the 2019 offseason was to bring in respected journeyman quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Flores believes in competition at every level, and whichever young quarterback the Dolphins draft will have to compete with Fitzpatrick for the starting job.

Back in 2019, it didn’t matter what picks the Dolphins traded away to acquire Josh Rosen. It didn’t matter that Rosen was performing (to an extent) better than Fitzpatrick during preseason games. Flores saw more behind the scenes with Fitzpatrick than he did with Rosen, and Flores chose Fitzpatrick to start the season. And we saw after Fitzpatrick’s benching and during his return, that Flores initial decision was the correct choice.

This offseason, Flores has opened the quarterback competition once again. So Rosen, along with Miami’s projected new rookie, will have another chance to beat out Fitzpatrick. And with the way Fitzpatrick performed last year and considering he’s reunited again with new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, I say “good luck”.

So most likely, the rookie will sit.

And if the rookie is going to sit, that rookie may as well be Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa who is coming back from a hip injury. (Yes, that’s the guy I want. I’m not going to hide it.)

Whoever the rookie may be, if that rookie doesn’t pan out, the Miami Dolphins still have that veteran bridge QB in place to keep their franchise stable and keep the team competitive while continuing to build a roster. The franchise is not going to tumble into oblivion because of a bad quarterback decision with the No. 5 selection.

So the floor for making a mistake at No. 5 is limited.

But I think fans all understand the importance of a franchise QB in today’s NFL, the reward for getting it right, and where it can take an organization. I don’t think I have to go into that.

That’s why gambling on a QB at No. 5 is worth the move.

Forget building the team first. The Dolphins have addressed a handful of those needs already in free agency, and they have 13 other selections after No. 5 to use on positional needs after that.

I just hope the Miami Dolphins understand this also.

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